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The onset of a strong El Niño event led to an unusual winter season, with <keyword id="6355648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="summer" source="Orion">summer</keyword>-like conditions arriving prematurely as early as February this year. Although the El Niño phenomenon has now moderated and is transitioning towards a neutral phase, the country must prepare for an exceptionally harsh summer ahead. If you've been struggling with the heat already, the news isn't comforting. The <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> Meteorological Department (<keyword id="19933636" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="imd" source="keywords">IMD</keyword>) has issued a stark warning for the upcoming summer season spanning from April to June, anticipating scorching temperatures and prolonged heatwaves across most regions of the country. Expect both daytime and nighttime temperatures to remain higher than usual in many areas, except for parts of northeast and northwest India. Extended periods of intense heatwaves are forecasted to affect South, Central, and East India, as well as the northwestern plains, throughout April, May, and June. Moreover, there's a significant likelihood of heatwaves lasting 10-20 days, surpassing the typical duration of 4-8 days. Central and western regions, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha, are anticipated to experience the brunt of these extreme heatwaves. In terms of pre-monsoon rainfall, April is expected to see normal rains, with increased precipitation predicted for May and June in Northwest, Central, North Peninsular, East, and Northeast India. However, coastal areas in both the East and West, as well as West-central India, can expect below-normal rainfall, offering little relief from the sweltering conditions. Heatwaves pose serious risks, particularly for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, young children, and individuals with health issues, who are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses like heatstroke, heat exhaustion, and dehydration. Additionally, extreme heat can strain power grids, transportation, and other infrastructure. To mitigate these risks, proactive measures such as establishing cooling centres, issuing heat advisories, and implementing strategies to reduce urban heat buildup are crucial. Furthermore, this period of intense heat coincides with the <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections (April 19th - June 1st), where nearly a billion people are expected to participate. Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasised the need for India to prepare adequately due to its large population and extreme weather conditions. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a <keyword id="6371478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heatwave" source="Orion">heatwave</keyword> advisory for the elections, urging electoral bodies to work with states to prevent heat-related incidents during public gatherings. In summary, India is bracing for a challenging summer characterised by above-normal temperatures and prolonged heatwaves. Remaining informed and taking necessary precautions will be vital for navigating this period safely.

India in for brutal heatwave conditions from April to June; likely to have sizzling impact on Lok Sabha elections

Geneva, July 5 (IANS) <keyword id="1270091" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="el-nino-conditions" source="Orion">El Nino conditions</keyword> have developed in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years, setting the stage for a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns, according to a new report issued by the <keyword id="555589" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-meteorological-organization" source="Orion">World Meteorological Organization</keyword> (WMO) on Wednesday. WMO forecasts that there is a 90 per cent probability of the <keyword id="51549" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="el-nino" source="Orion">El Nino</keyword> event continuing during the second half of 2023, and it is expected to be at least of moderate strength. “The onset of El Nino will greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records and triggering more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas, in a statement. El Nino occurs on average every two to seven years, and episodes typically last nine to 12 months. It is a naturally occurring climate pattern associated with warming of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. But it takes place in the context of a climate changed by human activities. The UN agency said that since February, monthly average sea surface temperature anomalies in the central-eastern equatorial Pacific have warmed significantly, rising from nearly half degree Celsius below average (-0.44 in February) to around half degree Celsius above average (+0.47 in May). In the week centred on June 14, the warm sea surface temperature anomalies continued to increase, reaching a value of +0.9 degrees Celsius. The collective evidence from both oceanic and atmospheric observations strongly points towards the presence of El Nino conditions in the Pacific, the WMO said. However, some uncertainty remains because of only weak ocean-atmosphere coupling, which is crucial for the amplification and sustenance of El Nino. It is anticipated that it will take approximately another month or so to witness a fully established coupling in the tropical Pacific. “As warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures are generally predicted over oceanic regions, they contribute to widespread prediction of above-normal temperatures over land areas. Without exception, positive temperature anomalies are expected over all land areas in the Northern and <keyword id="844937" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="southern-hemisphere" source="Orion">Southern Hemisphere</keyword>,” said the UN agency’s latest update for July, August and September 2023. “The declaration of an El Nino by the WMO is the signal to governments around the world to mobilise preparations to limit the impacts on our health, our ecosystems and our economies,” Taalas said. “Early warnings and anticipatory action of extreme weather events associated with this major climate phenomenon are vital to save lives and livelihoods,” he added.

El Nino is here says WMO, warns of surge in global temperatures

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rep. <keyword id="9540729" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nino-vitale">Nino Vitale</keyword>, a Republican from <keyword id="15091" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ohio">Ohio</keyword>, spoke out against <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> testing and the need to wear face masks on social media. </li><li>"Are you tired of living in a dictatorship yet? This is what happens when people go crazy and get tested," he wrote on Facebook.</li><li>On Wednesday, his order to "STOP GETTING TESTED" was trending on Twitter.</li><li>Vitale earned backlash from social media users who were baffled that a politician would make that claim during a pandemic that has sickened 3 million Americans.</li><li>The congressman's rhetoric mirrors that of <keyword id="3828720" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="President-Donald-Trump">President Donald Trump</keyword>, who has suggested that the ongoing surge in new cases is a result of more widely available diagnostic testing.</li></ul>Nino Vitale, a Republican state representative in Ohio, urged constituents to "STOP GETTING TESTED!" in a Facebook post on Tuesday.By the next morning, the lawmaker's controversial missive was echoing across social media and <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%22STOP%20GETTING%20TESTED%22&amp;src=trend_clicklick">trending on Twitter</a>.Vitale criticized the state's government for paying too much attention to new coronavirus cases rather than deaths and recoveries. "Are you tired of living in a dictatorship yet? This is what happens when people go crazy and get tested," Vitale wrote, urging people to stop getting tests because they give "the government an excuse to claim something is happening that is not happening at the magnitude they say it is happening."On Wednesday, the United States crossed 3 million coronavirus cases and confirmed at least 131,594 deaths. Ohio had reported 58,904 cases and 2,970 deaths, based on data compiled by <a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">Johns Hopkins University</a>. The state began experiencing <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/tracker/overview">an uptick in new cases</a> in mid-June and recorded its largest single-day jump of 1,597 new infections on July 3, according to <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/ohio/">Worldometers</a>. After a high of 138 new fatalities on April 29, Ohio has seen a drop in daily deaths.Nonetheless, Vitale played down the risks of the virus, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RepVitale/posts/3033814290029934">saying in a July 4 Facebook post</a> that COVID-19 "causes mild to moderate symptoms and in many cases, no symptoms at all," even though it has killed hundreds of thousands of people. "If this were as bad a killer as they say, we would not have any time to do anything because of all the funerals we have to attend; all the graveside services we are invited to. But the truth is, you have NOT been invited to funerals and graveside services or prayer vigils to any greater degree, have you? Yes, people die and all death is tragic, but at what cost to freedom and human flourishing?" he wrote.In the same Facebook post, Vitale alleged that people who don't get vaccinated in the future could be denied medical care and the ability to shop at grocery stores.After early missteps, the US has ramped up testing and went from testing about 110,000 people per day on March 29 to about 640,000 on July 4. But <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-rate-coronavirus-tests-positive-us-states-2020-7">experts have pointed to a rising positivity rate from these tests</a> to warn that the infection is spreading. Vitale's demand that people stop getting tested earned some support on social media, with people commenting that they refuse to get tested or wear face masks. Others, however, were aghast to see "STOP GETTING TESTED" making the rounds in the midst of a pandemic.Vitale was also critical of <a href="https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/07/07/gov-dewine-orders-face-mask-mandate-ohio-counties/">Gov. Mike DeWine's order</a> that mandates the use of face masks in seven high-risk counties that are on "red alert" amid the pandemic. Vitale called it "totally illogical" that DeWine made the announcement on Tuesday but the order doesn't take effect until 6 p.m. on Wednesday. "If this is such an urgent matter, why wait almost 30 hours? They make no sense. Stop listening to these frauds," Vitale wrote.Vitale's recent social media posts echo rhetoric peddled by President Donald Trump who blames the ongoing surge in coronavirus cases on robust <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/experts-warn-against-trumps-end-support-coronavirus-testing-sites-2020-6">diagnostic testing</a> in the US. "If we stop testing right now, we'd have very few cases, actually," the president said during a June 15 roundtable event for senior citizens.

An Ohio lawmaker demanded people 'STOP GETTING TESTED' despite a surge in coronavirus cases and now everyone is dunking on him

Heatwaves similar to those experienced in May in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> are almost 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the warmest <keyword id="20715549" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heat-wave" source="keywords">heat wave</keyword>s previously observed in the country, according to a new rapid attribution study by an independent group of climate scientists and researchers. The analysts at ClimaMeter said the intense and prolonged heat wave India endured in May was a result of the naturally occurring El Nino phenomenon -- unusual warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean -- and the rapidly increasing concentration of <keyword id="20649149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenhouse-gases" source="keywords">greenhouse gases</keyword> -- primarily carbon dioxide and methane -- in the atmosphere. The researchers analyzed how events similar to the high <keyword id="19929810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="temperature" source="keywords">temperature</keyword> in India's May heatwave changed in the present (2001-2023) compared to what they would have looked like if they had occurred in the past (1979-2001). "The temperature changes show that similar events produce temperatures in the present climate at least 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than what they would have been in the past over a large area of the region analyzed. The precipitation changes do not show any significant variations," the analysis read. "ClimaMeter's findings underscore that heatwaves in India are reaching unbearable temperature thresholds because of fossil fuels burning," said Davide Faranda of French National Centre for Scientific Research. "There are no technological solutions for adapting Indian metropoles for temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius. We should all act now to reduce <keyword id="19909902" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CO2-emissions" source="keywords">CO2 emissions</keyword> and avoid exceeding vital temperature thresholds in large areas of the subtropics," he said. Gianmarco Mengaldo of National University of Singapore said the findings show the complex interplay between natural variability and <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword>, with the latter playing an important role in critical synoptic-weather-pattern changes in tropical and subtropical regions that may significantly aggravate heatwaves in the near future. The world is witnessing weather extremes under a combined effect of the 2023-24 El Nino and human-caused climate change. May 2024 was the warmest May ever and the last 12 consecutive months - June 2023 to May 2024 - have broken temperature records for each corresponding month, according to the European climate agency Copernicus. Northwest India and parts of the central region reeled under a punishing heatwave in May which tested India's disaster preparedness, with several states reporting heat-related deaths. There are concerns that heat waves in April and May have played a role in the lower-than-usual voter turnout during the seven-phase general elections in India that began on April 19 and ended on June 1, the second longest after the 1951-52 parliamentary elections. According to the Central Water Commission, water storage in 150 major reservoirs in India dropped to just 22 per cent of their live storage this week, exacerbating water shortages in many states and significantly affecting hydropower generation. The intense heat has already driven India's power demand to a record 246 gigawatts, with air conditioners and coolers in homes and offices running at full capacity. India recorded nearly 25,000 suspected heat stroke cases and 56 deaths due to heat-related illnesses from March to May, PTI reported earlier, citing data from the health ministry. According to data compiled by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 46 of these deaths were recorded in May alone (till May 30). Between May 1 and 30, 19,189 suspected heat stroke cases were reported in the country, it said. The data does not include deaths from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi, and the final numbers are expected to be higher, a source said. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-smartwatch-shipments-remain-flat-in-q1-2024-the-year-expected-to-end-in-a-decline/articleshow/110789121.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-smartwatch-shipments-remain-flat-in-q1-2024-the-year-expected-to-end-in-a-decline/articleshow/110789121.cms" target="_blank">Indian smartwatch shipments remain flat in Q1 2024, annual shipments expected to end in a decline</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/webstories/nvidia-beats-apple-becomes-second-most-valuable-company-top-10-companies-by-market-cap/slidelist/110793951.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/webstories/nvidia-beats-apple-becomes-second-most-valuable-company-top-10-companies-by-market-cap/slidelist/110793951.cms" target="_blank">Nvidia beats Apple, becomes second most valuable company: Top 10 companies by market cap</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/synology-introduces-new-products-aimed-at-data-protection-and-scalability/articleshow/110711086.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/synology-introduces-new-products-aimed-at-data-protection-and-scalability/articleshow/110711086.cms" target="_blank">Synology introduces new products aimed at data protection and scalability</a>

May heat wave in India 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than warmest heat wave

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A group of <keyword id="15091" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ohio">Ohio</keyword> GOP legislators have filed 12 articles of impeachment against Gov. <keyword id="1598215" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mike-DeWine">Mike DeWine</keyword> over the state's coronavirus-related restrictions, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/12/01/ohio-impeach-dewine-covid-restrictions/">according to The Washington Post</a>.</li><li>The group alleges that the DeWine administration has enacted unconstitutional orders to further prevent the virus's transmission throughout the state.</li><li>Reps. John Becker, Nino Vitale, Candice Keller, and Paul Zeltwanger have described the move as "an effort to restore the rule of law."</li><li>DeWine, who on November 19 introduced a three-week curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in a bid to control the spread of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, said, "There's a small number of people out there making a lot of noise. I just wish they'd go spend some time talking to somebody who suffered through this."</li></ul>A group of GOP legislators in Ohio have officially filed articles of impeachment against Republican Gov. Mike DeWine over the state's <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> rules, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/12/01/ohio-impeach-dewine-covid-restrictions/">according to The Washington Post</a>.Reps. John Becker, Nino Vitale, Candice Keller, and Paul Zeltwanger have filed 12 articles of impeachment against DeWine, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10217042117036703&amp;set=pcb.102170421210368036803">with Becker describing the action</a> as "an effort to restore the rule of law."The group alleges that the DeWine administration has enacted unconstitutional orders to further prevent the spread of COVID-19 across Ohio.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10217042117036703&amp;set=pcb.102170421210368036803">In a statement</a>, Becker's office slammed the governor's health-related efforts to combat the virus."Governor DeWine's mismanagement, malfeasance, misfeasance, abuse of power, and other crimes include, but are not limited to, meddling in the conduct of a presidential primary election, arbitrarily closing and placing curfews on certain businesses, while allowing other businesses to remain open," the statement read. "He weaponized the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation to bully and harass businesses and the people; to enforce a statewide mask mandate and other controversial measures of dubious 'value,' making Ohio a hostile work environment."The group contends that DeWine violated the civil liberties of Ohio residents <a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/governor/media/news-and-media/ohio-issues-stay-at-home-order-and-new-restrictions-placed-on-day-cares-for-children">by enacting a stay-at-home order</a> this past March and by requiring citizens to wear masks when out in public.In a November 30 news conference, DeWine criticized the impeachment efforts and instead asked lawmakers to concentrate on the plight of those who are working to fight the virus and those who have experienced it themselves or lost a loved one to the illness."There's a small number of people out there making a lot of noise," he said. "I just wish they'd go spend some time talking to somebody who suffered through this."In August, Becker, Vitale, and Zeltwanger <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/513570-ohio-republicans-draft-articles-of-impeachment-against-gop-governor-over">threatened to file</a> articles of impeachment against DeWine, but ultimately punted on doing so. The governor also dismissed that effort."My priorities are to keep people safe and to get our economy moving faster and getting people more people to work, growing our economy and saving lives," <a href="https://fox8.com/news/have-at-it-ohio-governor-responds-to-articles-of-impeachment/">DeWine said</a> at the time. "If there are others in the legislature who want to spend their time drawing up resolutions and filing articles ... I'd just say to them, 'Have at it.'"For the effort to succeed, a majority of the GOP-controlled Ohio House of Representatives would have to approve the legislation. Two-thirds of the Ohio Senate, which is also dominated by Republicans, would then have to convict DeWine.On November 19, a three-week curfew to reduce the spread of COVID-19 went into effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., <a href="https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/11/17/ohio-gov-dewine-issues-statewide-curfew/">and is limiting some business and restaurant operations</a> in Ohio.As of Tuesday, more than 13.5 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 and over 268,600 have died, based on data compiled by <a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">Johns Hopkins University</a>. Of those, Ohio accounts for at least 421,063 cases and 6,429 deaths.

'An effort to restore the rule of law': GOP lawmakers file articles of impeachment against Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine over COVID-19 restrictions

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> has cracked down on <keyword id="535763" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Misinformation">misinformation</keyword> during the pandemic, but its automated flagging system has wrongfully removed videos from <keyword id="2205897" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="creators">creators</keyword> who attempt to debunk that misinformation.</li><li>One creator had a video debunking COVID-19 conspiracy theories removed, and his appeal was denied. YouTube told Insider that decision was a mistake.</li><li>"That's a crazy situation to be in, to be afraid to upload videos getting out the correct information," the creator said.</li><li>Another creator had four videos removed because of mistaken enforcement of YouTube’s new COVID-19 misinformation policy.</li><li>A YouTube spokesperson said the platform was making more mistakes because of increased reliance on automation.</li></ul>Chris Boutté was worried about his friend.He said she'd been hearing so much "nonsense" about the novel coronavirus that she was skeptical of any vaccine rolled out in the US to curb the spread of the pandemic.He noticed that one of the popular sources of misinformation related to the virus came from the YouTuber Jordan Sather, who has urged viewers of his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/DestroyingTheIllusion/videos">channel "Destroying the Illusion"</a> to ignore public-health guidance, including wearing masks.Boutté felt something had to be done.And so the 35-year-old YouTuber, whose videos focus on psychology and <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> analysis, decided to make a video debunking COVID-19 misinformation spread by Sather and other QAnon believers.On August 19, Boutté published a video called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdO6Y1tplGM">"Debunking Insane QAnon COVID Conspiracy Theories."</a> He discussed his concerns about QAnon and <a href="https://www.insider.com/qanon-violence-crime-conspiracy-theory-us-allegation-arrest-killing-gun-2020-8">how the movement has inspired real-life violence</a>, and told his followers to practice critical thinking when encountering misleading content online.Just over a week later, on August 27, YouTube removed Boutté's video, citing impersonation and the platform's <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9891785?hl=en">new COVID-19 Medical Misinformation Policy.</a> YouTube told Insider an internal glitch made the COVID-19 policy appear as "impersonation" on some creator dashboards.<div type="image" title="Chris Boutté said his experience getting an unjust strike felt like &quot;screaming into the void.&quot;" height="946" width="1692" msid="78335140" hostid="261"></div>The COVID-19 policy doesn't allow creators to upload content that "spreads medical misinformation that contradicts the World Health Organization (WHO) or local health authorities' medical information about COVID-19." But Boutté wasn't spreading medical misinformation — he was debunking it. He appealed the decision to remove his video, which came with a strike on his channel, but was denied."I'm afraid to do more videos debunking COVID conspiracies because if you get three strikes, your channel is deleted," he said. "That's a crazy situation to be in, to be afraid to upload videos getting out the correct information."The video strike didn't demonetize Boutté's entire channel, so he was able to continue making income from his other videos. Still, Boutté said, he undoubtedly lost income from the removed video.Meanwhile, Sather's video — which actually spread advice that went against WHO guidelines — remained on the platform. After Insider reached out to YouTube for this article, it restored Boutté's video to the platform and removed his strike. The next day, the platform removed Sather's video that Boutté had debunked. Boutté, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpfURmLbv0Sq4miJ3DzlZhA">whose channel, TheRewiredSoul,</a> has 81,000 subscribers, wasn't alone in the mistaken removal of his video. Two other creators spoke with Insider about the platform taking down their content for reasons they dispute, while letting videos like Sather's, that actually violated community guidelines, stay up.<h2>YouTube told Insider that the platform's reliance on bots and automation led to enforcement errors</h2>While all social-media platforms face the challenge of enacting policies to prevent misinformation and hate speech, YouTube in particular has become a breeding ground for conspiracy theories, white supremacy, and other forms of extremism.In a <a href="https://datasociety.net/library/alternative-influence/">September 2018 report</a>, the independent research organization Data and Society said that YouTube had become "the single most important hub by which an extensive network of far-right influencers profit from broadcasting propaganda to young viewers."After years of facing criticism for allowing far-right personalities to flourish on its site, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-bans-stefan-molyneux-hate-speech-david-duke-richard-spencer-2020-6">YouTube announced in June</a> that it had removed the channels of three top creators who have promoted white-supremacist beliefs. Richard Spencer, David Duke, and Stefan Molyneux were barred from the platform for violating YouTube's hate-speech policies, the company told Insider at the time.It said its commitment to the responsibility of content moderation led to newfound reliance on automated practices for flagging content that violates YouTube's rules during the coronavirus pandemic. Not only is YouTube reviewing videos that may breach its policies on sexual content, violent content, harassment, and hate speech, but it's now seeking to quell content that may promote harmful, false, and misleading information about COVID-19.<div type="image" title="youtube coronavirus" height="750" width="1000" msid="78335143" hostid="261"></div>YouTube creators have long struggled with the frustrating process of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtubers-entire-channels-can-get-mistakenly-demonetized-for-months-2019-8">getting accidentally demonetized</a> or penalized. But when the pandemic hit, it sent a vast number of its content reviewers home, where, the company says, employees couldn't do the same work because of privacy and work-life-balance concerns. YouTube began <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-coronavirus-content-moderation-video-review-machine-learning-community-guidelines-2020-3">relying more</a> on bots.In its second-quarter 2020 <a href="https://transparencyreport.google.com/youtube-policy/removals?hl=en">transparency report</a>, YouTube reported that it received over 325,000 appeals — its highest quarterly number ever — from creators who believed a disciplinary action taken by the company against them was wrong.YouTube said it typically upholds 75% of disciplinary decisions that are appealed, which include strikes, channel terminations, and copyright-infringement claims.In the second quarter of 2020, the platform upheld its decisions only half the time, which the company said it attributed to errors made by its automated systems.<h2>YouTube said 'automated flagging' identified 95% of 2nd-quarter moderated videos</h2>When a video or channel is flagged, either by a bot or a human, and the creator requests to appeal the decision, YouTube says a human always does the second review. But those humans can make mistakes, and they do.When human reviewers make mistakes, it's significantly more difficult for creators to get YouTube to understand what went wrong. Creators whom Insider spoke with found long waits, unhelpful emails from the platform, an inability to email the platform, and responses from YouTube that contradicted what was happening on their channels.Alex Joseph, a YouTube spokesman, told Insider that two of the creators Insider spoke with were mistakenly penalized because YouTube determined the videos were in violation of the COVID-19 medical-misinformation policy when they weren't, while the third was wrongfully penalized under sexual content guidelines. <div type="image" title="FILE PHOTO: Silhouettes of mobile users are seen next to a screen projection of Youtube logo in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration" height="2339" width="4000" msid="78335146" hostid="261"></div>"Earlier this year we introduced a policy prohibiting COVID-19 misinformation and we aggressively enforce it to quickly remove harmful content from YouTube," Joseph told Insider in a statement."No system is perfect, and our automated systems and review teams may mistakenly remove videos discussing harmful misinformation while not outright promoting it. Recognizing this, we allow uploaders to easily appeal video removals on YouTube or by reaching out to the @TeamYouTube handle on Twitter."Boutté — who unsuccessfully tried to get his strike reversed by appealing the decision and reaching out to Team YouTube — told Insider that after his video was reinstated, he believed it must've been related to the media's pressure on the platform.<h2>Another YouTuber who made videos debunking COVID-19 conspiracies faced repeated mistaken flags</h2>Phil Mason is a British chemist and YouTuber whose channel <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=thunderfoot&amp;oq=thunderfoot&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j46l2j0l2j69i60l3.917j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8ome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Thunderf00t</a> has nearly 960,000 subscribers. Mason has been creating videos since 2006, and he makes a lot of content debunking pseudoscientific "scams," like products that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5ep2vUMJt0">claim to help you breathe underwater</a>.Mason estimates he's been involved in 20 disciplinary actions over the course of his channel's history, including copyright violations and community-guidelines strikes, although "none of them have ever stuck," he told Insider.Typically, when Mason has appealed decisions, YouTube has reversed them, he said. "It always drags on for days, weeks, and sometimes months," he added, but this most recent time was different.On July 6, Mason uploaded "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvS4GUPbhTM&amp;feature=youtu.beu.be">Nino Vitale: BUSTED</a>." In it, he critiqued and mocked Vitale, a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, who touted the <a href="https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/debunked-myths-about-face-masks">disproven medical claim</a> that wearing a mask depletes oxygen levels in the air inside.About 35 minutes after uploading the 41-minute video, Mason says it was taken down by YouTube, and he received an email that said his video violated community guidelines. The policy cited in the email was the one against promoting "violent or dangerous acts" on YouTube.Mason assumed the takedown was "just some bot misfiring," so he reedited the video and uploaded it again on July 10 with the title "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyDVF7qtsSY&amp;feature=youtu.beu.be">*BANNED* BUSTED video!</a>"This time, the email he received referenced the <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9891785?hl=en">COVID-19 medical misinformation policy</a>, the same one it used to strike Boutté. Mason says he appealed the decision and YouTube upheld it.Mason, who is financially supported through ads on his videos as part of the <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72851?hl=en">YouTube Partner Program</a>, then began emailing the YouTube Partner Support email and tweeting to his 75,000 followers about the wrongful enforcement of the policy. Mason said nearly all of his COVID-related videos have been "demonetized at some point or another," causing him to lose roughly half his typical ad revenue for those videos.Taking those routes, Mason met more dead ends and more frustrating video removals.<h2>Small creators have found it difficult to have productive conversations with YouTube</h2>Creators like Boutté and Mason were penalized after being mistakenly identified as violating YouTube's COVID-19 policy. But as YouTube moved to rely more on automation, other mistakes that were not related to the coronavirus policy also occurred. Nadia Bokody, an Australian columnist, runs a self-titled sex-education channel with about a quarter million subscribers. She estimates that YouTube generates about 95% of her income through ads on her videos as well as sponsorships and other branded partnerships. On July 22 Bokody's channel disappeared.She received an email that said her channel had been terminated. Typically, YouTube operates on a three-strike system, and after three community-guidelines strikes, as well as other disciplinary actions, it will terminate a channel.But if a channel exists solely for a purpose that's in opposition to YouTube's community guidelines, it can be terminated instantly. That's what mistakenly occurred to Bokody's channel, when a human reviewer wrongfully thought her channel as a whole violated sexual content policies, YouTube told Insider. Her channel was reinstated on August 21, and Bokody says she lost thousands of dollars in the interim. And YouTube does not reimburse.<div type="image" title="Nadia Bokody's fans used the hashtag &quot;#FreeNadia&quot; to get YouTube's attention on Twitter." height="956" width="1698" msid="78335149" hostid="261"></div>YouTube says Bokody didn't appeal the decision herself and said it took the company longer to restore her channel because of that, but Bokody says she did appeal the decision right away and was ignored.All three creators Insider interviewed also reached out to <a href="https://twitter.com/teamyoutube?lang=en">@TeamYouTube on Twitter</a> to discuss their concerns over wrongful video bans.The @TeamYouTube account, which functions as a customer-service "conductor," responds to creator inquiries on Twitter at a rate of 25,000 tweets a month, YouTube told Insider. The account simply repeated the original YouTube mistake back to Mason when he reached out.On July 6, after "Nino Vitale: BUSTED" was taken down the first time, Mason tweeted there was "no TOS violation" and it was "important that this disinformation is debunked."YouTube responded: "Thanks for your patience, our policy team reviewed the video and confirmed it's the correct decision. YouTube doesn't allow content about COVID-19 that poses a serious risk of egregious harm."On July 14, a third video was removed from his channel, one that debunked a doctor spreading COVID-19 misinformation.Mason then continued correspondence with the YouTube Twitter account over the course of several weeks. @TeamYouTube continued to mistakenly tell Mason that his videos were in violation of the platform's rules. On September 7, YouTube removed a fourth video on Mason's side channel called VoiceOfThunder.Again Mason's appeals were denied and correspondence with @TeamYouTube proved unhelpful, he said. Emailing YouTube directly didn't work either. Emails between Mason and the YouTube Partner Support email account, which Insider reviewed, were also unsuccessful in reinstating the videos.On the same day his VoiceOfThunder video was removed, September 7, the three videos on Mason's main channel were restored without explanation.YouTube confirmed to Insider that they'd been removed by accidental enforcement of the COVID-19 policy. The platform later restored the video on Mason's second channel, telling Insider it had also been taken down in error.YouTube told Insider its emails and tweets were not written by bots, but rather by humans who often select prewritten responses from a list to fit the sender's question.When Mason emailed YouTube's partner-support email address, he began corresponding with someone who signed emails as "Peter." Trying to confirm whether Peter was a human or a bot, Mason asked the sender to use the word "buttercup" in their following note.Peter's response did not include the word "buttercup." Later, after the videos had been reinstated, Mason received a follow-up email from a sender named "Dawn." Dawn reiterated that YouTube's decision, which had already been reversed, was final.She apologized for the inconvenience.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtubers-entire-channels-can-get-mistakenly-demonetized-for-months-2019-8">'Like you've been fired from your job': YouTubers have lost thousands of dollars after their channels were mistakenly demonetized for months</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-bans-stefan-molyneux-hate-speech-david-duke-richard-spencer-2020-6">YouTube bans far-right channels for hate speech including those of Richard Spencer, David Duke, and Stefan Molyneux</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/shane-dawson-channels-demonetized-youtube-confirms-why-offensive-content-2020-6">YouTube suspended monetization on all 3 of Shane Dawson's channels after his controversial content resurfaced</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/lohanthony-gay-christian-celibacy-conversion-therapy-what-happened-anthony-quintal-2020-8">YouTuber Lohanthony was once an openly gay internet star. Now, he's an advocate for Christian celibacy, an ideological cousin of conversion therapy.</a></li></ul>

YouTubers' channels and videos are being mistakenly deleted for debunking COVID-19 conspiracy theories

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Over 20 <keyword id="6364896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="public-health">public health</keyword> officials quit, retired, or resigned their positions recently, according to The National Association of County and City Health Officials.</li><li>This wave of resignations has been prompted in part by the death threats and harassment public health officials are receiving. </li><li>In Ohio, Colorado, California, as well as other states, public health officials have stepped down.</li></ul>At least 24 public health officials quit, left, or retired from their positions in the months since the pandemic began in January 2020, <a href="https://www.naccho.org/">The National Association of County and City Health Officials</a> announced in a <a href="https://www.naccho.org/blog/articles/compromising-the-role-of-public-health-officials-makes-our-nation-less-safe">statement.</a>"Across the country, in red states and blue states, large metropolitan areas and rural communities, public health department officials and staff have been physically threatened and politically scapegoated," the organization, which represents 3,000 local health departments, wrote."Too many have lost their jobs for trying to protect and defend the health of their community in responding to the <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> pandemic. Many others have stepped down, interrupting their careers, to protect themselves and their loved ones from actual or perceived threats."During a time when public health officials are sorely needed, a spate of them are stepping down from the position because of threats, strained budgets, pressure from state and local governments to get the economy moving again, and a politically-charged response to the virus.The organization added that public health departments are facing lawsuits over their decision to close businesses and schools, and some state legislatures are attempting to limit the department's authority.<div type="image" title="pandemic protest" height="3300" width="4401" msid="76580635" hostid="261"></div><h2>Public health officials have left their jobs in Ohio, Colorado, and California</h2>After armed protesters showed up at Ohio public health director Amy Acton's home holding anti-Semitic and sexist signs blaming her for the financial losses they sustained during the shutdown, she decided to resign, shifting to an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/dr-amy-acton-resigns-guided-governor-to-praise-on-pandemic/2020/06/11/d3c2eb06-ac34-11ea-a43b-be9f6494a87d_story.html">advisory position</a>. This was after months of harassment, from Ohioans and other state officials, like Republican state lawmaker Nino Vitale, <keyword id="6366244" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="who">who</keyword> called her a "medical dictator" and an ""an unelected, globalist health director."Kathleen E. Toomey, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, now has a <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/the-reveal/doctor-toomey-receives-threats/85-ea127bfd-4aa9-4c97-a490-370068a3199e">personal security guard</a> after receiving numerous threats.Lauri Jones, director of a Washington State health department, had her personal phone number and address leaked. "They said, 'Let's post her address. . . . Let's start shooting,' " Jones told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/amid-threats-and-political-pushback-public-health-officials-leaving-posts/2020/06/22/6075f7a2-b0cf-11ea-856d-5054296735e5_story.html">Washington Post</a>. Andre Fresco, executive director of another Washington health department, told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/us/coronavirus-health-officials.html">New York Times</a> that he's been called a Nazi, Communist and Gestapo member numerous times. "I've been cursed at and generally treated in a very unprofessional way. It's very difficult," he said."I'm tired of listening to a guy dressed up like a woman," one township official <a href="https://www.pennlive.com/coronavirus/2020/06/pa-township-official-criticized-for-comment-on-dr-rachel-levine-im-tired-of-listening-to-a-guy-dressed-up-like-a-woman.html">said</a> about Dr. Rachel Levine, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, who is transgender. The remark happened over a Zoom call in which Levine received a lot of criticism over her handling of the pandemic.<div type="image" title="lockdown protest CA" height="2432" width="3243" msid="76580648" hostid="261"></div>Seven of California's 61 health officials have stepped down in recent weeks, including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-health-official-resigns-threats-face-mask-requirement-2020-6">Nichole Quick,</a> chief health officer of California's Orange County. She stepped down from her position after receiving massive backlash for requiring face coverings in her community.Business Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-health-official-resigns-threats-face-mask-requirement-2020-6">previously reported</a> that protesters brought a banner depicting Quick as a Nazi to a public Board of Supervisors meeting. In that same meeting, her home address was read aloud. Photos of Quick with a Hitler mustache standing behind a swastika <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/public-health-officials-targeted-live-and-on-facebook-11592941006">circulated on Facebook.</a> After Quick's departure, the face covering requirement was eased to a non-mandatory recommendation.Also in California, a reopening advocacy group held a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/public-health-officials-targeted-live-and-on-facebook-11592941006">June 14 protest</a> outside the home of California public health officer Chris Farnitano, who had to ramp up security around his home.In Detroit, senior public health adviser Dr. Kanzoni Asabigi abruptly <a href="https://khn.org/news/public-health-officials-face-wave-of-threats-pressure-amid-coronavirus-response/">retired</a>, as did <a href="https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/head-gaston-county-dhhs-resigns-amid-covid-19-pandemic/Q2E22WJSXJA6LM4WO3SPQC4AXU/">Chris Dobbins,</a> the head of North Carolina's Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services.In Colorado, some angry protesters <a href="https://www.cpr.org/2020/05/20/arapahoe-prosecutors-grapple-with-two-crimes-connected-to-anger-over-coronavirus-rules/">threw rocks through the health department's windows.</a> In a <a href="https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/05/20/daniel-pesch-tri-county-health-department-vandalism-suspect/">Facebook post,</a> one of the alleged vandals wrote ""Hope you're enjoying putting small business under. Enjoy the broken windows a**holes."Four Colorado public health officials left their positions. In a poll put out by the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials, <a href="https://khn.org/news/public-health-officials-face-wave-of-threats-pressure-amid-coronavirus-response/">80% of Colorado public health officials</a> said they or their personal property had been threatened since the pandemic began.<div type="image" title="new york protest" height="2667" width="3556" msid="76580661" hostid="261"></div>Emily Brown, director of the Rio Grande County Public Health Department in rural Colorado, was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/06/14/876714176/public-health-workers-face-threats-unemployment-while-fighting-virus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fired</a> for pushing for stricter lockdown policies and facing down county commissioners <a href="https://khn.org/news/public-health-officials-face-wave-of-threats-pressure-amid-coronavirus-response/">looking to loosen health restrictions</a> in May. A Facebook post <a href="https://khn.org/news/public-health-officials-face-wave-of-threats-pressure-amid-coronavirus-response/">circulated</a> making reference to her weight and "bodies swinging from trees.""In my case, the death threats started last month, during a COVID-19 Facebook Live public briefing when someone very casually suggested that I should be shot," Barbara Ferrer, director of Los Angeles County's public-health department, said in a <a href="http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=2457">statement</a>. "It is deeply worrisome to imagine that our hardworking infectious disease physicians, nurses, epidemiologists and environmental health specialists or any of our other team members would have to face this level of hatred."

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India in for brutal heatwave conditions from April to June; likely to have sizzling impact on Lok Sabha elections

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El Nino is here says WMO, warns of surge in global temperatures

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An Ohio lawmaker demanded people 'STOP GETTING TESTED' despite a surge in coronavirus cases and now everyone is dunking on him

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'An effort to restore the rule of law': GOP lawmakers file articles of impeachment against Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine over COVID-19 restrictions

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YouTubers' channels and videos are being mistakenly deleted for debunking COVID-19 conspiracy theories

Rachel E. Greenspan,Kat Tenba…

Health officials are receiving death threats, and over 20 have left their jobs after weeks of targeted harassment

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